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Bezig met laden... City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth to Modern Chicago (2012)door Gary Krist
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Just in case you're not sick of politicians read this book. ( ) The subtitle of City of Scoundrels is rather misleading: while several of the figures involved in the "12 Days of Disaster" that took place in Chicago in the summer of 1919 certainly helped to shape that city in profound ways, Gary Krist doesn't really prove that those twelve days in particular were some sort of formative moment or systemic break. Really, the events described here are a kind of microcosm that bring together several different aspects of the history of early twentieth-century America. From blimp crashes in the Loop to race riots, child abductions to bare-faced political corruption, Krist documents moments that reveal a lot about the history of power, race, and technology in Chicago that stood on the verge of the Roaring Twenties. Read City of Scoundrels for that "snapshot in time" feel, but not for something bigger than that. I had not at all heard about the accident that is one of the major threads in this book -- the crash of the Wingfoot Express (hydrogen fueled) airship in the middle of Downtown Chicago in the summer of 1919, which kicked off a fortnight of hell for the city. I found the book to be quite interesting, especially in that it covers the race riots that followed (and were unconnected) quite well. Recommended. Blatant machine politics, racial, ethnic and labor unrest. Murder and gang warfare. Epic battles between Springfield and City Hall. Accusations of buying of political appointments and a showdown over public transit. Big dreams and even bigger plans to transform the face of the city. A blustery, compelling, charismatic mayor fond of making great pronuncements not always based in fact. Chicago in the 21st century? Nope. Chicago, 1919. It's refreshing and disturbing that some things never change. The only major difference I can see is that no one really flies dirigibles around the city anymore. Nice little side stories of Carl Sandburg and Ring Lardner, too. I had no idea Sandburg lived in Maywood for a time. Totally worth reading. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
History.
Sociology.
Nonfiction.
HTML: The masterfully told story of twelve volatile days in the life of Chicago, when an aviation disaster, a race riot, a crippling transit strike, and a sensational child murder transfixed and roiled a city already on the brink of collapse. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)977.3History and Geography North America Midwestern U.S. IllinoisLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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